Hyperelastic behaviour of elastomers for wave energy applications

Elastomers are increasingly recognized as a pivotal technology for realizing flexible wave energy converters (fWEC), owing to their elasticity, stretchability, and resilience to harsh marine environments. As a result, they frequently appear as a choice of material in modelling the behaviour of fWEC. This study undertakes the characterization of five different elastomers under varying loading conditions, including uniaxial, planar and biaxial tests. The hyperelastic behaviour of the materials was evaluated by implementing hyperelastic modelling, obtaining the hyperelastic constants for each elastomer. To validate these constants for fWEC application, experimental tests are conducted using an oscillating water column setup. These experiments offer insights into elastomeric membrane deformation under wave-induced conditions within a water tank. The resultant data is then compared with outcomes from a numerical model utilizing the established hyperelastic constants. Remarkably, the model accurately replicates the membrane deformation trends observed in the water tank experiments.